It has been several years since a truly exceptional European miler graced overseas racecourses, but Palace Pier might be special. Making his first group stakes start at spectator-free Royal Ascot in 2020, Palace Pier defeated Pinatubo, champion 2-year-old of 2019, in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes, and with fans in the stands Tuesday, Palace Pier looks a near cinch to win the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, first race of the 2021 Royal Ascot meeting.

Stradivarius is chasing a remarkable fifth consecutive win at Royal Ascot next week – with a record-equalling fourth Gold Cup in his sights.

The leading light among John and Thady Gosden’s stellar team of older horses, if the seven-year-old prevails again on Thursday, he will join Yeats as the most successful in the history of the feature race of the meeting.

Stradivarius showed his enduring capabilities, despite his relative advancing years, when winning the Sagaro Stakes on his return to action at the end of April.

Forget about the men dressed to resemble penguins or magicians – whatever it is they’re going for – or the traditional betting market on the color of The Queen’s dress when she arrives at the racecourse in a horse-drawn carriage. What really distinguishes Royal Ascot is its unusual narrative arc.

Strategic Phil ended a 10-race losing streak with a win in a lucrative handicap at a mile at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on May 29.

That victory could propel the 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding back into the winner’s circle again in Sunday’s $96,825 Swan Hill Cup at Swan Hill Racecourse in the Australian countryside north of Melbourne.

The trailblazing U.S trainer is an 11-time Royal Ascot scorer and sends a speedy team of nine to Berkshire.

U.S-based trainer Wesley Ward, an 11-time winner at Royal Ascot, has brought nine runners to this year’s meeting, including Campanelle who won last year’s Queen Mary Stakes. Ward talked to attheraces.com to go over his line-up for Royal Ascot 2021.

Since the start of his career in late 2017, the Australian gelding Wild Planet has won five stakes, all in sprints. Wild Planet has won the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill Gardens last September and the Group 3 Coonga Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse last October.

What is missing from Wild Planet’s career record is success in a Group 1 race, with a fourth-place finish, ninth, 11^th and second in such races.

SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, June 13, 2021)

Dual Classic heroine Love is among eight confirmations for Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Aidan O’Brien’s filly has not been seen since winning the Yorkshire Oaks by five lengths in August, having previously dominated her own age group in both the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Oaks at Epsom.

The daughter of Galileo missed an intended tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October on account of soft ground, meaning she will be making her first appearance in 10 months if she lines up for the feature event on day two of the Royal meeting.

Simon Rowlands shares his exclusive sectional ratings on this season's leading Royal Ascot-bound juveniles.

One of the unexpected consequences of racing being suspended during the first lockdown last spring was a certain clarity of intent when the show came back on the road.

The two-year-old scene was particularly affected, as an entire early-season in Britain was crammed into June. Many of those juveniles who did appear early in the month were clearly being aimed at Royal Ascot just a couple of weeks later.

Joseph O’Brien has put a line through Thunder Moon’s disappointing display in the 2000 Guineas and hopes he can bounce back in the St James’s Palace Stakes next week.

The event for three-year-old colts at Royal Ascot usually brings together the Guineas formlines along with those who missed the Classics for one reason or another.

Thunder Moon went off an 11-2 chance at Newmarket but trailed home last of the 14 runners.